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How To Use A Chain Tool
Once your mountain bike chain becomes damaged, you should
immediately replace it with a new one. It is possible however,
to repair a broken chain using a chain tool. For this very
reason, most mountain bikers travel with a chain tool.
Your chain has three basic components - the metal side plates,
the rollers between the side plates, and the rivets, or pins
which go through the rollers and help to hold the plates
together. These pins allow the rollers to freely turn as the
chain moves around the cogs.
If your chain happens to break, you'll need to remove the broken
link and replace it with a spare link. To do this, simply
reattach the two ends of the broken chain and ride on a shorter
chain until you can get it replaced.
To remove a broken link of chain, place it in the chain tool.
Now, turn the tool counter clockwise until the rivet pin of the
chain tool touches the chain rivet. Continue to turn the tool
until the pin pushes out of the roller. Be very careful, as you
want to stop turning when the pin is right at the edge of the
roller, before it moves through the outer side plate.
Now, turn the tool in the other direction, and back it out of
the roller. Set the tool to the side, then work the chain very
gently from side to side and extract the inner side plates and
roller.
Now is the time to re-route the chain through the bike. You may
want to have a chain retaining tool or some to help you hold the
chain in the right spot as you route and repair it.
Now that the broken link has been removed and you've re-routed
the chain, you're ready to insert a new link or simply connect
the links that were beside the broken one. The process here is
the same - align the two ends so that the link with the inner
side plates will fit inside the link with the pin and outer side
plates. Now, use the chain tool to push the pin inward until
it's positioned evenly between the side plates.
The easiest way to learn how to do this or feel comfortable
doing it is to have someone show you, then actually practice
with a chain and a chain tool. You'll have no trouble at all
making a temporary repair in a mountain bike chain once you've
seen it done by a professional and practiced it yourself a few
times.